Leeds United won’t forget transfer shocker which cost them £13,715 per second
Leeds United’s ill-fated signing of Jean-Kevin Augustin is undoubtedly one of football’s most disastrous deals, with financial and reputational repercussions still felt years later. The saga is a cautionary tale of how quickly ambition can turn into calamity.
The deal initially appeared straightforward. Leeds, chasing promotion in the 2019/20 season, brought Augustin in on loan from RB Leipzig with an obligation to buy him should they secure promotion. The striker’s pedigree, having played for Paris Saint-Germain and Leipzig, seemed promising at the time.
Leeds had Eddie Nketiah for the first half of the campaign, with the young striker on loan from Arsenal notching some important goals during his time in West Yorkshire, but he was unable to displace Patrick Bamford in Bielsa’s team. Bamford was the starting striker due to his energy and intensity, which made him the best stylistic and structural fit, and Nketiah could not replicate the same qualities as a focal point.
It was hoped Augustin could provide competition as a more like-for-like profile to Bamford in frame, size, and style. However, things unravelled almost immediately for him and for Leeds, which left Bamford as the only fit and available striker for much of the run-in that season.
